BlogHer 2016 - Halfway In

This is my sixth BlogHer Conference. Every year, I think I basically know what to expect. And every year, I'm taken by surprise at the rush of emotions that hits me somewhere around the first session or keynote (only augmented by this year's addition of All The Hormones). I've been choked up a few times since I arrived on Thursday night, and we haven't even had the Voices of the Year Keynote yet...yikes. Someone find me some tissues.

Because I need to take a nice little nap, and because photos are fun, here's a little recap of days 1-2.

It's 6am and Helen and I are on the road from Berkeley to LA!

The Best Buy booth always shows off
such awesome appliances, it makes me
wish I owned a home and had lots of
money to buy such things. This fridge
is really cool. And it had a watermelon
in it.

Hula hooping while pregnant: 3.5 second record.
Turns out it's hard to hula hoop while pregnant.

The Lansinoh booth had a very comfy couch.
Much appreciated, especially after all that
hula hooping.

This is how many pillows the lady requires.
Naptime.

So far I've seen Sheryl Crow, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Michelle Gellar speak. I've met some cool sponsors and sampled interesting products. I've attended talks that made me think, and bumped into old friends I usually only see on the internet. 

This is such an incredible community, and it's truly wonderful to be able to attend this conference and get so inspired each year. It makes me proud that my day job is working for a company that believes in the power of online communities. And it makes me proud to be a part of the BlogHer community.

And we're only halfway in. More to come!


Did we meet yesterday or today? Leave a comment and say hi!

Mommyblogging?

Well, friends, the time has come. I'm officially knocked up (we're 13 weeks in at this point!) and ready to join the ranks of my friends The Mommybloggers. No, this blog won't turn into 100% parenting and pregnancy, but if you'll recall my past hobbies/interests, the blog does tend to shift topics along with what's going on in my life (knitting, weddings, moving, etc). So. Fair warning. You are likely to see some babby content around these parts.

I'm not looking particularly pregnant at the moment, more just burrito-bloated, but I'm looking forward to growing and showing and glowing and crowing and whatever else pregnant ladies do. We're officially concluding our pregnancy announcement communications rollout (TELL EVERYONE!), and I'm lamenting the lack of cold medicine in my life (head congestion without meds is no joke). Starting to make lists of lists and Pinterest boards and floorplans and feeling the urge to purge, but that's par for the course.

And yes, I'm still planning to go to BlogHer '16. 35 weeks pregnant. It'll be awesome!

And because it's my favorite pregnancy announcement ever:

How did you announce your pregnancy? Have you ever attended a conference while preggers? How pregnant were you? TELL ME EVERYTHING!

BlogHer '16 - Who's In?

What about you?

Introduce yourself (and your blog) in the comments!

Out and About at BlogHer

I had an amazing week in NYC, despite going through nearly an entire box of tissues (thanks, cold that decided to hit me two days before I left the Bay Area!) :)
My coworker Helen and I flew out on Tuesday afternoon to attend an HR summit put on by one of Disqus' investors. We had some really awesome conversations with fellow HR pros, and talked shop about extended leave policies and career development in small companies and the ups and downs of managing culture and morale in changing startup environments...super interesting, engaging discussions (which are basically my soul food). That was a whiz-bang super start to what would prove to be a jam-packed week of awesome!

Rather than trying to write beautiful prose about the incredibly fun things I did while in NYC, I'm going to list them out. Because damn. I packed a lot in. No wonder this is the city that never sleeps. And now, presenting...a lot of photos of things I did while in New York.

Nothing says summer in NYC (to me) like a
late night stroll with a soft serve cone.
And sneaking into the Rockefeller building.

There was dinner at Butter (I'm a big Alex Guarnaschelli fan).

Tuna tartare with shaved radish, cucumber balls, and a
nasturtium sauce.

There was Fun Home, which moved me to tears. There was lunch with Jolie. There was a screening of Ant Man, at which Paul Rudd made a guest appearance (and I nearly swooned).

He was utterly charming and adorable, even from as far
back as I was sitting.

There was a late night standup show in Greenwich Village, featuring some new comics and some great comics (including Jon Rineman, who writes for Fallon and was super funny).

We sat right up front. Fun place to be, but
didn't get teased as much as I thought we
would. 

There were multiple keynotes and sessions at BlogHer that gave me crazy inspiration (Soledad O'Brien totally made me cry, surprising no one), including this one featuring a few Girl Scouts. It reinforced my belief in the power of communities for women. I only made it through Brownies, but if I ever have a daughter, I'm signing her up!

I didn't realize how many Girl Scouts and Girl Scout alumns
there are in the US (more than 59 million American women)!

There was an awesome session on being true to yourself when developing your personal brand, featuring my buddy Irvin.

You do you.
Find your niche, identify what makes you who you are,
and run with that.

And then there was Wild Party, a show who's music I've loved since college. Oh, and Sutton Foster played Queenie. So there was that. More tears.

Seated up in the balcony, but the view was just fine :)

There was breakfast with college buddies, and a really interesting session about "when you're 'too much' for your audience" -- my takeaway? You have to be true to yourself and your voice. If an advertiser wants to pull out unless you change your voice, that's a decision you have to make. I sometimes struggle with saying things the way I might think them because I know my audience ranges from friends to family to coworkers...but you know what? You don't have to write everything you think, the way you think it. Endrant.

Anyway, after the midday sessioning, there was Something Rotten (after running around the blocked-off Times Square), featuring a former classmate of mine. And more tears.

And it was a damn good show.
Aleks is a singing, dancing superstar.

And then there was cheesecake. And then there was the closing night party, featuring Boys II Men (who sang the hits and tossed roses into the crowd) and a DJ and Nick Cannon (who I did not stick around for). And my annual McDonald's food fest.

Chowing down with the mom.me ladies, sending Lyz texts.
Because that's what friends do.

There were minions, and I freaked out a little bit, but Helen is a big brave girl.

I just really, really don't like mascots/people in costumes
where I can't see their actual faces.

We left the party around 9:30 or so, because I was like, "My ear hurts. I don't know why. I am a party pooper, I swear something is wrong with my ear." Turns out I had an ear infection. Oops.

And, as is the case most of the time I travel, I didn't wear half of the things I brought with me.

These are all the clothes I DIDN'T wear.
Only two of them are things I purchased
while in NYC.
I am an over-packer.

It was quite a whirlwind of craziness, but craziness of the best sort. I'll write a whole separate blog post about the swag and the vendors and all that madness later :)

Did you do anything awesome while you were in town for BlogHer? Did you get out and see the city, or did you hole up in the A/C of the Hilton?

Ye Olde BlogHer15 Recap

BlogHer 2015 has come and gone and once again worked its magic on my heart. There are lots of reasons to look forward to BlogHer conferences: the sessions, the keynotes, the parties, the travel, the brand networking...it's all tons of fun. But the thing that keeps me coming back is the people. This is one sensational community - it's hard to describe the magic of BlogHer.

Something I read in a fellow attendee's recap post really sums up the experience for me: "You meet up with people you know or you sit down next to people you never met before, and you immediately find yourself in a supportive environment. It is immediately collaborative."

I think that's what it's all about. Yes, there are niche communities within the larger group, but no matter what kind of blogger you are, people will talk to you with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm. If you put yourself out there, you will find your people, and you will make connections with people you thought you had nothing in common with. It's such a warm, welcoming group, all with a shared interest in expressing themselves through writing. There's a bit of an air of summer camp about it all. We're all at one big slumber party where the campers want to support and encourage each other.

I'm not a professional blogger. I write only for myself, in my spare time, when I feel inspired to share. But I am a community junkie. I love people, and finding my people, and talking to the people who want to talk about the things I love talking about. Heck, that's why love working at Disqus (my day job is running HR and Operations). But BlogHer is not just for professionals - BlogHer is for anyone. Through BlogHer, I've met other part-time bloggers like me. I've met women who've completely changed the course of their lives through their writing. I've met women who juggle more than I do, who are braver than I am, who are strong and kind and intelligent and creative, and who are building empires -- or who are just carving away precious minutes in their busy lives to devote to something they love. It's a community that is as diverse as it is unified. And I love being a part of it. I always leave feeling inspired, not just to write, but to be a better human.

Yes, there are opportunities to meet interesting brands and load up on swag (is it just me, or was this year's theme "toothpaste"?). And this year, there were more adorably tiny desserts than I could eat (and I can eat dessert!). And since the conference was in NYC, I got to indulge my theatre geekery and see a bunch of shows (and college friends). More on all that later.

For now, I'm kicking back in my seat on my flight home, still a little bit high on all the love I felt over the last few days. It was a joy and a pleasure to meet you. If you're someone I met in a session, in the expo hall, or on the dance floor, please say hi and leave a link to your blog in the comments! I'd love to check out your recap and whatever else you're writing these days!

Preparedness and Posturing

I'm much more aware of what I post on my blog in the months, weeks, days leading up to (and during) BlogHer. I know I'll have new readers, some of whom will stick around and some of whom will take one look and run the other way. I know there will be more eyes on my blog than usual, and I start to worry how it will be viewed - will people notice that I ramped up my publishing schedule a few months before the conference? Should I prep a bunch of stuff to be posted while I'm at the conference, so there's always something new for my new readers to digest? Will they realize this is what happens every year, as I get excited about the conference and become reinvigorated about blogging? Will they care?

Likely not.

BlogHer, for me, is an opportunity to find my community in person. I've written about it before, and I'm sure I will write much more from New York later this week. But for now, I'm going to try to stop thinking about what others will think when I finally get around to posting the four or five things that have been milling around my head...even if I post them all at once, and the day before the conference. Or even if I don't post them until weeks after, once I've uploaded the photos and figured out what I want to say.

Because I'm not a professional blogger, my blog is my own space. It is what I make it, and it changes. And that's ok. And if you're a new reader, starting to keep tabs on the new faces you're about to meet, or have recently met, hi. I don't mind if you don't post regularly either :)

ICYMI: Blogged at Disqus

In case you missed it, here's a link to my blog post on the Disqus blog about finding community at the BlogHer conference this year. Community is incredibly important to me, and working at Disqus is invigorating...working for a company that builds products to make better online communities and a better internet? Hell yeah. Working to make our company a great community of its own? Hell yeah. Connecting in real life (IRL) to communities I'm a part of online? Hell yeah.

<3

The Bloggiest

Well. BlogHer 2014. Ahem, I mean #blogher14. It has come and gone, and I'm still thinking about it. In fact, I have so many thoughts, and pretty much all of the feelings, that I'm having a really hard time writing about it. There were so many fucking fantastic women, all in one place, having conversations that were funny and irreverent and horrifying and heartbreaking and inspirational and well you can see why all the feels.

Because I'm still processing, and because I've already written one serious post (which is far more than I usually write), and one silly post, I guess this one is somewhere in between. So...here's Day 2 and 3 of BlogHer 2014, mostly in pictures. But with a little actual content at the end.

TwistedShotz. These are shots. Sorry, I mean shotz.

They are sugary sweet and three of them in quick succession will give you a nice little buzz.

Helen and I did the Yoplait Greek #tasteoff challenge, where you do a blind taste test of both Chobani and Yoplait Greek yogurt and see which you like better. I eat Chobani quite often at work (when we're out of Fage - so spoiled), and also I'm pretty sure I was solely responsible for Yoplait's success in the 90's, so it wasn't hard for me to tell the difference. I prefer a more sour Greek yogurt, so I chose the Cho. Helen preferred Yoplait, and also didn't know which was which, so I consider myself an extremely talented yogurt connoisseur. I wonder if there are awards for this.

Helen, educating me on the Kardashian game. It looks incredibly stupid, like it might actually kill your brain cells, and I cannot download it for fear of getting sucked in. Those Kardashians are good. They know what they're doing. They will rule us all.

We rocked out at the tiggly booth. I'm pretty sure that tiggly is one of those products that's made for kids but the parents secretly play with it once the kid goes to bed. Maybe if they're intoxicated, but also maybe sober.

Thanks to Bridgestone Tires for the Disqus-colored manicures!

Obligatory swag haul photo. This year, despite driving to the conference and therefore having nearly unlimited ability to Take All The Things, I tried really hard to only take things I would actually use.

Highlights include Monopoly, Trouble, Ziploc Gallon Size Freezer Bags, convertible coaster/trivets, a sturdy tote bag, a hell of a lot of Bona floor wipes, full size Pledge and Pledge for your floors, and a bunch of Efferdent (for Will's hockey mouthguard) and twenty four double size rolls of Angel Soft holyshit. (I know -- exciting!)

I had fun teaching Helen the "show up in the last 20 minutes of the expo and score big" game :)

Two hungry girls and their cheeseburghers at the closing night party.

Rocking out in the daylight to 80's-90s jams with DJ Run. As in Rev Run. As in Run DMC.

Yup.

I was going to say that the dance party really got wild once it got dark out, but this group of ladybloggers was going wild in the daylight too. It did feel less awkward after dark.

The Rev said such things as, "I swear to God I'm here to have fun!" and "I haven't smiled this much in a very long time." and "WHERE MY LADIES AT?!" (um, right here in front of you, Rev, maybe get those eyes checked out), which was pretty super fun. He was smiling a lot. I think he had a good time with us. Thanks, Rev.

We certainly had a good time.

Really sweet string lighting and a whole lot of dancing women. It was a nicely decorated party, and I can appreciate that.

Those burgers and fries taste so damn good late at night after a few beers. Jury's still out on Gogurt.

Oh, and then this happened:

WHAT.

On our way to brunch on Sunday, we passed the parking lot where a mere 10 hours before, we had been eating junk food and jumping up and down to songs we danced to in middle school. 

Quite a transformation.

Post-BlogHer brunch requires three drinks.

I'll be honest: after Chicago's somewhat lackluster performance, I wasn't entirely looking forward to this year's conference. Chicago felt too big, too empty. I was worried that the BlogHer conference had jumped the shark. Oh, how wrong I was. This year felt lovely. It was cozy and warm and full of energy. The 10x10 speakers were (for the most part) wonderfully articulate, inspirational and thoughtful (yeah, maybe don't watch this one at work). The Voices of the Year almost all made me cry (just found this recap of quotes featuring moi - fun!). The mainstage keynotes were fucking fantastic. The food was pretty good too. 

I met some rad ladies I'd only met on the internet before this weekend (hi, Ginger Warrior! whaddup, FireMom?). I hugged women I haven't seen since last year (oh hey there, Tabatha). I sat next to Elise Bauer at lunch. I decided that I really want to talk to Kara Swisher in person and make her be my mentor, and I still regret that I wasn't able to hug The Bloggess and thank her for that post about HR. I met some brand reps that were really cool, and who I hope remember me when I finally email them several weeks after the conference. I basically accosted BlogHer co-founder Jori Des Jardins for the second time in four years, to thank her for starting this thing (sorry, Jori). I basically lived in #BlogHer14 for three days. And I went to a party that I'm not allowed to talk about.

One drunk night I started typing this blog post. I wrote, "blogher is nothing if not a place to encourage yourself to put yourself out there." And I think that's what this whole BlogHer thing is all about, really. 

If we met in San Jose this year, thanks for taking the initiative to follow through on our "Oh, I'll check out your blog! Here's my card, too!" interaction. I really did like your dress, and I really do hope I'll see you on the internet (like when I finally get it together to go through the biz cards and visit all of your blogs). It was really fun to meet you. I mean it.

Why I Don't Write About Race

There were some really great conversations about race and privilege at BlogHer this weekend. It's not something I write about (or even talk about, frankly) very often, but these conversations have gotten me thinking. And as Feminista Jones reminded us, we should all speak up. We should all claim our experiences, and honestly? My privilege is one reason I don't talk about it. I don't need to talk about it. It doesn't affect me. Except that it does. It affects all of us. It affects us as a community, as a country, as human beings sharing one planet. And not speaking up because I feel like I don't have a worthy enough story myself is a really shitty reason to stay silent.

My experiences with "otherness" are not much to write home about. They are very white, in the most socioeconomic sense of the word. They are steeped in privilege, which is a word I'll just apologize now for overusing in this post. When I was in elementary school, I was not popular. I was made fun of for liking books, for listening to country music, for being Jewish-looking (not that I was in any way an *actual* minority, guys. I just hadn't grown into my nose, and my peers had, I guess). I ate lunch in the library, and yes, I felt like a big ole loser nerd much of the time, but eh...I had bigger concerns, like how many library books the librarian would let me check out at once or when I would be allowed to wear pointe shoes. In middle school, some girls threatened to steal my clothes in the bathroom once, but that was an anomaly - I don't think they even knew who I was aside from some random kid to torment. I grew up a theatre kid, which for many people is synonymous with otherness, but I actually had a wonderful group of friends and went to a high school where the theatre kids were more beloved than the athletes (or at least we felt that way), so no stories of being stuffed in a locker or bullied there. Sure, I grew up on "the other" side of Ventura Boulevard, not in Hidden Hills or Calabasas where most of my classmates lived...but I didn't live as far as where all the signs were in Spanish, either. I was right in the middle - sometimes uncomfortable, but squarely settled in my own assured privilege. Full of teen angst, but most definitely in a stereotypically privileged way.

The first time I was confronted with feelings of racial difference was in college, when I volunteered with Equal Opportunity Productions (EqOp) - a non-profit arts outreach program in Los Angeles. We visited schools whose arts programs had been taken away, mostly in East LA, and provided free classes and workshops in self-expression, storytelling and improv. We took a group of kids to a cabin in Big Bear for a week one summer (looking back, how the hell did we do that? A lot of parental trust.) to write and produce their own play. It was a transformative experience for many of these kids, who didn't really know how to put their many pre-teen angsty feelings into words. Who didn't feel comfortable expressing their feelings in public. Who hadn't had experiences that allowed them to be crazy, silly, creative kids with a voice. Who hadn't before been listened to and told that their voices mattered.

And for me, it was surprisingly eye-opening. Not because I'd never been exposed to poverty or class divisions, but because for the first time, I was deeply involved and working closely with a diverse group, first-hand, in a way where I had an active role in Making A Difference. And in my own 20-year-old-with-a-heart-full-of-passion way, it was there that I experienced otherness in a way I hadn't before. See, out of our group of 15 or so kids, there were two who were white and Jewish and lived comfortably above the poverty line. When the time came for the program's director to pair us "adults" with kids to mentor, naturally I was paired with the ones who looked like me. And I get it. It's important for kids to have mentors they can personally connect with, and especially for young minority kids to see strong, grown up minority mentors they can easily see as their future selves. And I fucking loved working with those kids. But I also resented our racially classified mentor/mentee relationships because it was less about pairing me with the white kids and more about not pairing me with the ones who were black or brown. In dividing ourselves based on the color of our skin, weren't we part of the problem? In telling these kids that they should learn from those who look just like them, weren't we closing ourselves off to diversity and shared experience?

I will never know what it's like to grow up as a young, black girl below the poverty line in East LA. That will never be my experience. And so I understand why an organization would pair that girl with a mentor who has been there and lived it. And I do believe that it's the right call. I hate (hate hate hate) stories that look like "white person comes in and saves the poor black kids". That's not the story I want to be a part of. But to be told, without further discussion, that "well, obviously" I would be paired with the brainy Jewish kids made me feel strange. I felt like I was being put into a box I didn't know was mine, told that my experiences were as one-dimensional as my looks. That I shouldn't worry about relating to the kids who didn't look like me, because someone more qualified was going to do that.

I have never experienced systemic prejudice. I have never been excluded from a place of privilege because of my race. My experiences as a Jewish woman growing up in the San Fernando Valley do not in any way qualify me to speak on behalf of minority groups who face real adversity, and I do not wish to be any sort of savior. I just want, in my own naive, sunshiney way, to relate to each other on a human level. And I want to feel like I am making some sort of impact, to do something, however small, to make a world where our humanity is all that matters.

There were a lot of talks this weekend about what it means to be an ally. How to support without appropriation. How to speak up, but not speak for. I don't have answers. I only have my experience, and my heart. And a lot of the time, my heart hurts so much for those I don't know how to help that I dissolve into a pool of helplessness and just freeze. I don't want to freeze anymore.

If you have a story you want to tell, please share. Please link to your blog in the comments. I won't use my friends as my teachers - the internet is out there, and there is no shortage of stories to tell about the systemic abuse that exists in this world. I cannot claim, and will not tell, your stories as if they were mine. But you can tell them. Please tell them.

Hello From BlogHer!

It's that time of year, friends. Time for thousands of bloggers (mostly ladybloggers) to convene in one place for some "IRL" community bonding. Yes, it's BlogHer season. This year, the conference is close to home, in San Jose, which means that for the first time ever, I drove to BlogHer. I'm going to take the lessons from BlogHers past and cut back on my swag intake...just because you have room for it doesn't mean you should take it! (As my therapist says, "just because you can doesn't mean you should" - amen, sister, I'll try to remember that one)

This time, I have the honor of sharing my BlogHer experience with my coworker Helen...this is her inaugural BlogHer experience, so it's exciting times indeed. If you met us tonight, we were giddy with freedom (hey, we left the office at 3:30pm! and aren't going in tomorrow!) and high on blogger energy. If this is your first time over here at Kim's Kitchen Sink, say hi in the comments! Nice to meet you.

Starting our evening off right with Eppa Sangria at the
Sundown Sangria Soiree.
The invitation said to wear yoga pants. So. Obviously.

It was very hot. There was an ice luge for the sangria.

Attempting to take a selfie for #selfiebration (ugh that word)

Helen attempts a selfie as well. It was hard
to get the picture just right. Involved a lot
of maneuvering.

Late night dinner at Johnny Rockets for nostalgia's sake.
Jukebox was broken. Womp womp.

Area Woman Reports Smiley Face Ketchup Still a Thing.

I didn't take many pictures in the expo hall because I was too busy exhaling (and tweeting) and making mental notes for tomorrow and Saturday (drool over fancy Samsung appliances? CHECK!). Also, I got my fingernails painted Disqus blue (thanks, Bridgestone Tires booth, for the mani and the massage!), so even though I'm not here reppin' Disqus (unless you're an engineer and you want a job, in which case, come find me), I'm still reppin' the blue.

Maybe I'll post every day throughout the conference, maybe I won't...Thursday night is always the calm before the storm. If you see me wandering around with my face in my phone, poke me and say hi!

Technogel Pillow Of Deliciousness - and a giveaway!

This year at BlogHer, I happened to stop by the Technogel booth (what can I say? I was lured by the giant bed! A girl's gotta rest her feet!), where I was able to try out the oh-so-comfortable Technogel mattress and pillows.

And oh man. If you've tried memory-foam-type pillows, you know the feeling - except that Technogel products contain gel instead of foam. More on that later.

I am a picky sleeper. I have a very particular method of stacking pillows (one slimmer Target brand "firm" pillow on top of another, fatter, IKEA brand "firm" pillow), where the top pillow has to be stacked at just the right angle atop the bottom pillow, and I often have to readjust several times before getting it right each night. I need just the right amount of firmness, at just the right angle, and recently I noticed that my once-firm Target-brand pillow was starting to lose steam. Oh, first world problems, I know thee well. But when the kind folks at Technogel offered me the chance to try one of their luscious pillows, I knew I couldn't pass it up.

Oh hello, there.
Nice curves.

I chose the "Anatomic" pillow (pictured above), and have been sleeping on it for the last two weeks. And I don't think I can ever go back, guys. I don't know that it gives me "a fresh feeling around [my] face and neck" (one of the advertising claims), but it definitely stays cool throughout the night. As for the other claims? The 3-D Deformation does support my head and neck (and the Anatomic shape means that it works whether I'm on my side or my back, which is good news for me, since I tend to roll around a lot. It's even comfortable when I'm on my stomach, even though it's not marketed as the one for stomach-sleepers). And it is definitely odorless and hypoallergenic -- I'm prone to allergies and somewhat sensitive to smells, so this is something I care about. And it's not really relevant, but it's a heavy pillow. And I kind of like that. Not sure why, but I do.

If you're interested in more information, Technogel made this 10-minute video. I'll be honest, I didn't make it through the whole thing, so, uh, no pressure or anything. They do have a lot of great information on their website though, so you should definitely check that out. The only downside I can see is the price (I think it retails for around $150), but considering the quality and that it should last for years, it's worth it, yo.

But, oh, what's that? Something about a giveaway? YOU LUCKY PEOPLE, YOU! Technogel is letting me give away one pillow (winner's choice!) to one lucky winner (super lucky!). That's right - one of you lucky readers is going to get one of these magical pillows of wonder. Something tells me my husband might be entering this giveaway...

As far as the giveaway itself goes, I'm using Rafflecopter for the first time, and I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, so forgive me if it's awkward or something - just let me know if it is and I'll figure it out. The contest is open until Sunday at midnight, and all you have to do to enter is do one (or all!) of the things listed in the Rafflecopter widget thing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the interest of full disclosure, Technogel provided me with a complimentary pillow to review, but I received no other compensation for this post. Technogel did not require a positive review, nor did they influence my review in any way. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

BlogHer 2012

Hi folks!

Just a quick note to let you know that I'll be attending the BlogHer conference in New York this week! Last year's conference was nothing short of funtastic, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with my blog friends from near and far while we learn and network and revel in the kind of solidarity that can only be found when thousands of strong women come together under one roof. Boy howdy, good times are there to be had!

While I'm in town, I'll also have a chance to catch up with some old friends who've made their way out East...it seems I end up in NY every 5 years or so, which I don't think is really often enough. I can't wait to squeeze in visits with some of my favorite people in between work and conferences!


And on a semi-related note, Disqus and I are hosting a couple of awesome events -- if you're coming to the conference, or if you just happen to be in NYC, you should check 'em out!

On Thursday, August 2, we're hosting a panel discussion at the Union Square Ventures offices. The discussion will be centered around discovering and engaging with your online community, and we have five awesome, awesome panelists (and an awesome moderator, too!). Check out the Eventbrite page for more information, and to RSVP!

On Friday, August 3, we're hosting a happy hour at Faces and Names, a bar/restaurant near the conference hotel - If you want to mix and mingle with me and some folks from Disqus (and other Disqus users), check out the Eventbrite page to RSVP!

Hopefully, I'll have some time to blog with updates throughout the week, but if you don't hear from me for a week, you know why ;) 

The first post-BlogHer11 post

So BlogHer was fun.  It was really fun. And now I am well stocked on Allegra and Command Hooks and Glad containers and all sorts of goodies.  I had a ridiculous amount of fun with Tricia, Lyz and Suki.

Obviously.

We made friends, and I'll do some shout outs when I go through and organize the gigundo stack of business cards I collected (like a boss). I didn't use my digital camera once, but I took a TON of iphone photos - tweeting #blogher11 was what all the cool kids were doing, and y'all know I'm the coolest of kids (ha). 

Some favorites include:

• Being socially rejected
• Eye Candy at the Expo
• The joys of walking
• A Serious Sleepy Girl
• Last night at the conference
• Drunk Ricki Lake

Yeah, the conference was fun (did I mention that already?). We've been waiting for 4 hours at the airport for our severely delayed flight, but we're going to be boarding soon and oh man, I'm gonna sleep on my new Tempur-pedic travel pillow. 

More posts to come, with lots of giveaways and updates and blog love.  For now, I could use a drink. And a nap.

Checking In From BlogHer

I'm writing this from the plane, on my way down to my hotel room in San Diego for the 2011 BlogHer Conference.  It's been quite a week, and it's looking like this will be quite a weekend...and quite a next month or so as well.

If you've been following along on Twitter, you know that Will is in Yosemite, getting ready to hike the approximately 220 miles of the John Muir Trail, which begins at Happy Isles (in Yosemite Valley) and ends at the top of Mount Whitney. He'll be gone for about 3.5 weeks, and I'm doing my best to fill my schedule so the time passes quickly!  We were up until about 2am last night getting his gear packed, and arose at 5am today to shave his head before his friends picked him up. I got to sleep again from about 6:30-9:30am after saying goodbye (ps - goodbyes are hard), but was fighting the sleepy eyelids as the plane drifted through sunny skies.

Now I'm sitting on my bed in the hotel room at BlogHer, waiting for Tricia to arrive (our 3rd roommate, Lyz, doesn't get in until late). I just got here, and I'm already a little overwhelmed.  In that excited way, of course, but still a little overwhelmed. This is a HUGE hotel (and very fancy, I might add), with restaurants and stores and all that jazz, and I'm a little worried about getting lost running from event to event. I hope we scheduled enough buffer/travel time between things! We have a nice view out the window, of a hotel (maybe?) whose name I can't make out, but it's pretty odd looking.  I think the sign says San Diego Wine & Chfaslkfj Club? Fallbrook Dining Somethingorother? And I want my roooooooomies to get here!


The next month and a half will include a visit from Tricia (post-conference), a trip home and a day at Disneyland, a visit from Reed, an officewarming party at work, SaraB at Shoreline, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and as many pilates/dailey method/ballet classes as I can squeeze in before I drive either to Yosemite or Mammoth to pick Will and his hiking partner up from the end of the trail. Oh, and we're going to some weddings and a football game in Colorado. And I'm probably forgetting something.  Oof!

For now, vacation BlogHer!

I'm hoping to post a few things while I'm at the conference this weekend, including some beautiful pictures from our recent trip to Yosemite (in honor of Will's trip) and a massively awesome giveaway.  Stay tuned!

Teaser pic:

Will and I on our way into Yosemite Valley a few weeks ago.